Two questions that came up today.

1. Water heater bottom vale was clogged so had to manhandle the tank to the back door to tip over. To old to do this much.
Tried sticking a small wire in the valve. Next tried garden hose and back feed the water. Any tips or tricks if it happens again?



2. Next was at fergusons plumbing sply today to pickup some pex fittings. All were the normal brass, but the only

1/2 barb x sweat fittings they had were copper. There was not even a place on the self for another type. Sales guy insisted they were for Pex. Only copper fittings I have seen were for quest pipe, so I did not buy them.
Was I wrong or right ?

Thanks

don't have to worry about no-lead laws with a solid copper adapter.



Edited 2 times.

Leave the water on when you're trying to drain the heater. A lot of times the pressure will blow the debris out of the valve.
They were for Pex. They haven't made polybutylene crimp fittings in quite a long time.

remove the tank drain valve and replace with a nipple and ball valve.

Packy, what valve is that? I can't find anything like that locally and I would like to order a couple. The closest I can find are boiler drains with ball valves, but they are male thread and too short to connect directly and need a coupling and nipple to attach.

How about an 'Apollo' ?



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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

KC, it is a nibco QT55X
[www.nibco.com]

I like Bernabeau's ball valve with ipsxhose adaptor and screw on cap. You can flush out the water heater much faster with this setup and it takes a larger piece of mineral deposit to clog it up.

i like it better too but it costs 3 times as much. unfortunately, when one is in business one has to watch the bottom line very closely or one will be in the bread line.

I like being able to attach a hose to direct the water flow. If sediment tries to clog the valve, just a turn of the handle will usually get things flowing again anyhow.